Prince William (1776-1834) is wearing the uniform of the 6th Foot Regiment and the star of the Order of the Garter. The miniature may have been painted to celebrate the prince's appointment as colonel of the regiment in 1795, or his 21st birthday in 1797.

William was the only son of William Henry, first Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743–1805), a younger brother of George III, and his wife, Maria Walpole, Countess Dowager of Waldegrave. In 1816 he married his cousin, Princess Mary (1776–1857). They had no children.

The identity of the artist is unknown but it has been suggested that it may be Philip Jean (1755-1802) who was born in St Ouen, Jersey. He served in the navy under Admiral Lord Rodney and later became a professional miniature painter. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787 to 1802, including miniatures of the Duke of Clarence (1790), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (1790 and 1792), Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester (1791 and 1795) and Prince William of Gloucester (1792 and 1802). He also painted full-length portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1788, one Royal Academy critic described him as an 'ingenious foreigner'.

The miniature is in its original locket with a lock of brown hair under glass at the back.